CraftWars

CraftWars
Season	Fall
Dates	September 08 - December 01 (2020)
Duration	12 Weeks
Theme	StarCraft / Warcraft
Highlights	Themed skins Themed mounts D.Va and Gazlowe rework Gladiator's Medallion Nexus Anomaly

CraftWars is a StarCraft and Warcraft-themed event in Heroes of the Storm that began on September 08.

Background

The reemergence of the Dark Nexus has led to fiercer competition for Singularities than ever before — but a small group of Heroes is transforming the conflict. The Realm Crafter they’ve developed doesn’t just bring Heroes from multiple dimensions together in the Nexus — it actually fuses them, along with their friendships, rivalries, and powers.

Does Mei have it in her to be a Death Knight? What are the odds that Gazlowe will excel as a pro SCV pilot? Who’s the biggest heartthrob: Anduin Wrynn, Valerian Mengsk, or a combination of their wonderfully symmetrical faces?

While some body-melded Heroes take the time to learn from one another and their new circumstances, others are double-mindedly focused on the war to become MVP. The CraftWars are spiraling throughout the realms, and you’ll need to choose a side carefully — the King of Blades waits to absorb stragglers from every corner of the battlefield.

Prove you’re more than the sum of your parts as mash-ups of your favorite Heroes in the wildest matchup the Nexus has ever seen.

Content

Skins

CraftWars Skins
King of Blades Arthas
Backstory: Corrupted by the Zerg's insatiable bloodlust, Arthas turns battlefields to burial grounds as the King of Blades.
Features: Themed animations.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
900 / 1,800	900 / 1,800 Venomous	900 / 1,800 Lavawrought
Mineral Harvester Gazlowe
Backstory: In the rear, with the gear... and a whole lot of explosives, ha!
Features: Themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
900 / 1,800	900 / 1,800 Firebat	900 / 1,800 Rich
Draenei Executor Artanis
Backstory: Long-exiled by his adopted Nerazim brethren, Artanis has finally found a new unity.
Features: Themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into Warcraft skins.
350 / 600	350 / 600 Royal	350 / 600 Darksteel
Necrotopologist Mei
Backstory: Mei has dedicated her life's work in climate science to saving her world for future generations. But if she can solve death, she can save everything.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into Warcraft skins.
350 / 600	350 / 600 Frostbitten	350 / 600 Devilish
Emperor of the Dominion Anduin
Backstory: "The path to peace is through our children," Anduin remarked, explaining the hereditary dynasty he'd made of the Pan-Terran Alliance.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
240 / 150	240 / 150 Glorious	240 / 150 Studious
Fel Reaver Blaze
Backstory: After much experimentation, mo'arg engineers have succeeded in miniaturizing the fel reaver's design and fusing it with a captive sentient soul. The results are quite promising.
Features: Altered voice-over.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into Warcraft skins.
375 / 450 Galvanic
Medic Uther
Backstory: It is said any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Medical Corps officer Uther Lightbringer tends to agree.
Features: Altered voice-over, themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
525 / 600 Angelic
Raider Rexxar
Backstory: The terrans are descended from Earth's exiled prisoners, mutants, and degenerates. Some, like the military ursine-handler Cpl. Rex Arkk, are more genetically aberrant than others.
Features: Altered voice-over, themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
900 / 1,800 Angelic
Apothecary Lt. Morales
Backstory: The Royal Apothecary Society's experiments have resulted in many alchemical discoveries, which Apothecary Morales administers to soldiers in the field. Some side effects may occur.
Features: Altered voice-over.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into Warcraft skins.
375 / 450 Acid
Grunty Murky
Backstory: Alright, fess up... Who put the murloc in that power armor? Sammy? We talked about this... Guys, this is real cute and all, but how the heck are we supposed to get him out of there?
Features: Altered voice-over, themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
525 / 600 Earthy
Spectre Illidan
Backstory: As the terrazine haze cleared from his mind, Illidan saw what he had become. His body had mutated, grown irreversibly addicted... But the power was worth any price.
Features: Altered voice-over, themed abilities.
Notes: This skin theme is part of a shared theme of other universes merging into StarCraft skins.
900 / 1,800 Scorch
D.Va
Backstory: Hana Song, also known as "D.Va," is both a world champion professional gamer and a burgeoning global icon. As a member of South Korea’s elite MEKA unit, she fights to protect her homeland from the colossal omnic threat lurking within the East China Sea.
180 / 112 Shining

Mounts

CraftWars Mounts
Invincilisk
Backstory: Corrupted by the Zerg's insatiable bloodlust, Arthas turns battlefields to burial grounds as the King of Blades.
525 / 600	525 / 600 Slimeheart	525 / 600 Sulphurous
Iron Kite
Backstory: Are you driving it into battle, or are you just an accessory to its rampage?
525 / 600	525 / 600 Stromgarde	525 / 600 Kul Tiras

Portraits

CraftWars Portraits
Angery Zergatul75 / 40	Cyb'arak75 / 40	Gotcha!75 / 40	Illuminated Draenei Executor Artanis75 / 40	Invincilisk75 / 40	King of Blades Arthas75 / 40
Natural Selection75 / 40	Queen of Death75 / 40	Scheming Mineral Harvester Gazlowe75 / 40	Shadow Warchief75 / 40	Swarm Coil75 / 40	Target Sighted!75 / 40
	Thoughtful Emperor of the Dominion Anduin75 / 40	Tinker'd75 / 40	Zerg'jin75 / 40

Sprays

CraftWars Sprays
Deepmine180 / 112	Draenei Executor Artanis75 / 40	Frostmourne180 / 112	Goblin SCV75 / 40	Low Battery180 / 112	Mineral Cluster75 / 40
Nuclear Launch Detected75 / 40	Protoss Chicken75 / 40	Rearing Invincilisk75 / 40	Shadowmeld180 / 112	Shalamayne180 / 112	Sunken Burrow75 / 40
	Vespene Geyser75 / 40	Warcraft Food75 / 40	Zerg Throne75 / 40

Emojis

Craft Wars Pack
Emoji	Name	Shortcuts
	Craft Wars Artanis	:craftarta:
	Craft Wars Arthas	:craftarth:
	Craft Wars Anduin	:craftandu:
	Craft Wars Gazlowe	:craftgaz:
	Craft Wars Turret	:craftturr:

Development

In Assistant Art Director Trevor Jacobs’ point of view, Arthas—Warcraft’s Crown Prince of the Alliance turned Lich King—was the key actor that unraveled the worlds of possibility in CraftWars. “We were thinking that Arthas—Lord of the Dead, Lich King—would somehow take Kerrigan’s throne,” Jacobs says, slowly, his eyes growing wide. “But is Arthas conquering all the worlds? Or is he just after StarCraft?” the artist muses to himself.

Jacobs and Senior Artist Andrew Kinabrew admit Mei—a climatologist fighting for world peace in the Overwatch universe—isn’t exactly “cross-craft”, but interpreting her as an icy, evil Death Knight was simply too irresistible. “We thought this skin just had to happen,” says Jacobs. “We were seeing it pop up in the community, and we were like ‘dude, we’re doing it,’ and were stoked to be riding the wave.” Kinabrew made the skin quite some time before CraftWars was put on the production schedule and seized the opportunity to make her the perfect accomplice for the King of Blades in his coldhearted plot.

Based on the StarCraft SCV, Gazlowe’s newest skin drops with this pack just in time for his rework. “I think my favorite is the Gazlowe skin,” says Kinabrew. “I was really proud we could finally get that one in. We’ve been mulling it over for a long time.” Jacobs tells us in hushed tones that he wasn’t sure about the idea in the beginning, but that he was willing to be convinced by Kinabrew. “So, Gazlowe fans, you have Brew to thank,” says Jacobs. “Now he’s one of my favorite skins in the pack, too.”

Artanis, the Executor of the Protoss army in StarCraft, appears in CraftWars as a Draenei, an ancient spacefaring race uncorrupted by Kil’Jaeden’s dark power. In their vision of the clash, the artists say Artanis would be a key player in the opposition force to the King of Blades’ invasion. “We’ve worked on all these games,” says Jacobs. “This is a team that helped spawn characters like Artanis. So, this was a fun history of us just throwing things together and seeing what stuck.”

In CraftWars, Anduin has crossed over from being a prince in Warcraft to being… a prince in StarCraft. When asked about Anduin’s new look, Jacobs and Kinabrew take turns interrupting each other’s responses with punctuated laughter. “It’s the funniest one to me,” says Jacobs. “I feel bad even saying it… but Anduin, Valerian… they’re just so close. To me there’s so much humor here in this skin.” Being long-time fans of both Warcraft and StarCraft, Jacobs and Kinabrew say working on Heroes is a unique opportunity to poke fun at the characters they love from time to time, and they hope the players get a good laugh, too.

So, who WOULD win? “By just combining the power of the Lich King with the Primal Zerg power, in addition to the never-ending forces he would summon… Arthas should win,” says Jacobs. Here he pauses. “But that would never happen,” he says. “I am sure we would have Gazlowe invent an off-switch for the undead Zerg. Mei would fall in love with Anduin and turn against Arthas. And Artanis would sacrifice himself and become the King of Blades, but nice.” Kinabrew mulls that over. “I imagine they would probably grow flowers, or something,” he says thoughtfully.

Gallery

Teaser

• 
  Teaser 01
• 
  Teaser 02

Concept Art

• 
  Draenei Executor Artanis Concept Art
• 
  Emperor of the Dominion Anduin Concept
• 
  King of Blades Arthas Concept Art
• 
  King of Blades Arthas Concept Art
• 
  Mineral Harvester Gazlowe Concept Art
• 
  Necrotopologist Mei Concept Art

Loading Screen

• 
  Loading Screen

External Links

• Be prepared—the CraftWars patch is here
• The Arts-and-Crafts of War: Heroes artists discuss new CraftWars patch